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Arizona's Bill Ryden Named 2002 Pac-10 Coach of the Year

Palo Alto, Calif. - Arizona's head gymnastics coach Bill Ryden has been named the 2002 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, announced Saturday at the Pac-10 Conference Championships. Ryden was named the Pac-10 Conference's top coach for leading the Wildcats to a 15-7 regular season record and a 9-4 mark in the Pac-10. Ryden lead a team which finished 9-22 in 2001 to a No. 12 national ranking in 2002.

Ryden is in his fourth year at the helm of the Wildcat program, and holds a 45-58-1 career and school record at Arizona. He joins former Wildcat gymnastics head coach Jim Gault as the only two Wildcat coaches to receive Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors.

Also honored on Saturday was freshman Katie Johnson, who was named the 2002 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. Johnson is ranked third in the Pac-10 on floor, tenth on beam and No. 12 on vault, and is ranked No. 5 in the nation on floor. She was named Pac-10 Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 29) for her performance against No. 1 UCLA on January 25. Johnson becomes the first Wildcat to receive Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors in school history.